A well-organized prepper’s stockpile will usually include a reasonably large amount of ammunition to be used for self defense and proper ammo storage could prove to be essential to survival if a long-term crisis were to occur. There are many possible scenarios – man-made and natural – that could cause the foundations of our society to crumble virtually overnight.

Having a million rounds of ammo is great, but without proper storage those potential projectiles will be nothing more than a heap of brass–or worse, an accident waiting to happen.

Over time, heat, moisture, and corrosion can wreak havoc on an ammunition supply. Cartridges can weaken and break, primers can lose their zing, and bullets can even corrode and lose mass, making them a safety hazard to fire. Avoid all these potential risks by using these 4 tips for storing your ammunition.

Do Your Research First

Before worrying about ammo storage, you’ll want to do some research to ensure you’re getting the best ammo at the best price.

Examine the best manufacturers and sellers to uncover the most competitive pricing. Many people default to buying big brand names because they are familiar. Yet, a little digging can uncover cheaper brands that offer the same level of quality.

Cost effective way to start stockpiling ammo

If you do not have the money to drop $350+ on a big lot of ammo you can simply go for a small box of ammo every week or couple of weeks. Just as an example say you will get a box of 20 rounds of .223/5.56 every week at around $9 a box for basic FMJ will add up to only $36 dollars a month and give you 1,200 rounds year. So basically you can incrementally add to your ammo stockpile instead of have to buy in bulk. It does offer some cost savings to purchase larger lots but may be a little easier to budget for a smaller weekly expense. As long as you take some simple steps to budget and prepare for it you will be able to begin getting a good cache built up.

Inspection Points

When buying SHTF ammo here are some guidelines to follow.  Check the packaging for well made, sturdy, good printed, heavy stock paper board.  This implies the maker cares enough to package their products well.  I favor ammo that comes out of the packaging box with each cartridge inserted in a divided card honeycomb or a plastic one.  This protects the ammo during shipping and storage.  This isn’t mandatory, but just a plus.  When you inspect the ammo look for sharp pointed bullet tips, no smashed or bent over tips.  The brass should look new, fresh and bright.  Discolored, scarred, scratched, or dented brass may mean suspect quality.  The primers should be sealed.  Check to make sure the ammo does not use corrosive primers or Berdan primers, which means it cannot be easily reloaded if you choose to.  Look for boxer-primed cases, and non-corrosive powders especially with foreign made ammo.

Buy In Bulk

Here is one final tip about buying SHTF ammo. Try to buy in quantity. If you are buying common cartridges that you shoot a lot SHTF Ammoor want to keep in storage for a bad, rainy SHTF type day like the .223/5.56, 9mm, or .45 ACP, then shop around for 1000 round case prices. As a rule of thumb for desirable ammo, shop for these prices. For .223/5.56 use the benchmark of 33.5 cents per round. Any good brand of ammo case priced at $350 or less for 1000 rounds is a fair price these days. Try to buy 9mm for 26 cents a round or around $65 for 250 rounds. The .45 ACP should be bought for about 40 cents a round. These are basic factory loads with standard “ball” bullets and bullet weights. If you are buying special hunting ammunition or some of the new self-defense ammo, then expect to pay much more. Again the trick is to shop around. By all means don’t be pressured to buy when the political or economic mood sends ammo prices spiraling out of control such as a pre or post presidential election. Always gauge your needs with your budget. Buy the best ammo you can afford for front line use.

Conclusion 

Ammunition will always be in demand and it becomes invaluable during a SHTF scenario. You can never have too much of it in my opinion, but you shouldn’t have tons of it if you have other priorities. You can’t eat bullets during a famine and going Rambo style to get supplies from others will not work for long. When stockpiling ammo, it merely comes down to how much you can realistically afford without impacting your way of living. You should be able to stockpile ammo while still being able to live within your means. Start slow and steady and if you stay constant, you will have a serious stockpile in no time. Remember to keep on buying, but also to keep on practicing if you want to use your ammo wisely.

Source included: www.shtfblog.com; 

This content was originally published here.

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